Saturday, September 8, 2012

Review: THE BEST OLD MOVIES FOR FAMILIES by Ty Burr

Classic
movie fans are always looking for ways to introduce their friends and families
to their favorite films, and Ty Burr's 2007 book, The Best Old Movies for Families, is an invaluable resource for the
adult cineaste who longs to educate the next generation about the delights of
the silver screen. Well-written, fun, and clearly organized, Burr's book is
both a good read and a useful handbook for organizing a kind of "Classic
Film 101" for children of any age.

Burr
helpfully divides his guides into different age groups, so you can plan a
curriculum for your kindergartner or your teenager, and he also points out
which films are good for all ages, in case you have to juggle the demands of a
mixed group of kids. Beyond age divisions, Burr categories films by genre and
also includes a section devoted to major directors and stars. These groupings
are very useful because once the kids see one picture that they like they will
want to see more in the same vein, and Burr always suggests a "next
step" from the film being discussed so that parents won't have to wonder
which movie is most likely to capitalize on the enthusiasm that has already
been stimulated.

Burr
employs a simple, personal style in the book; this is by no means a film school
textbook, and even parents who are themselves new to the world of classic
movies can appreciate and understand his writing. He doesn't assume the
reader's familiarity with particular films or theories, but he writes in such a
way that he never assumes one's ignorance, either. He does rely on personal
anecdotes about his own experiences watching old movies with his two daughters,
and, if the book has any real flaws, it might be that Burr's discussions lean
more toward girl viewers' tastes. However, the breadth of the book's coverage
ought to include plenty of movies that will appeal to boys, too.

Of
the film books I have purchased and read in the last few years (and there have
been quite a few), Burr's The Best Old
Movies for Families is absolutely one of my favorites. I experimented with
Burr's curriculum on my own daughter with great success; she rapidly became a
huge Gene Kelly fan thanks to Singin' In
the Rain (1952), and she developed quite a passion for classic musicals in
general. It's worth exposing your children to classic movies just for the
amusement of having them run through the house belting out "Gee, Officer
Krupke" from West Side Story (1961)
and quoting the "vessel with the pestle" dialogue from The Court Jester (1956). For parents
looking to give their children a different kind of classical education, one
that teaches wit, style, and an appreciation for all old things, Burr's book is
a treasure.

Ty
Burr is a film critic for the Boston
Globe. His new book, Gods Like Us: On
Movie Stardom and Modern Fame (2012), is due out in September. If you want
more books about kids and movies, you might try Jeffrey Lyons’101 Great
Movies for Kids (1996).

An earlier version of this review was originally posted on Examiner.com. The author retains all rights to this content.

Beyond Casablanca

About Me

I'm the author of BEYOND CASABLANCA: 100 CLASSIC MOVIES WORTH WATCHING and the YA fantasy novel, WIERM'S EGG, both available on Amazon Kindle. I write about classic movies at my blog, Virtual Virago, and I volunteer for lifetime learning programs teaching courses on literature, film, and popular culture. For 14 years I was an English instructor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.